1. GOVT2305
Book
Dautrich, K., and Yalof, D., The Enduring Democracy, Custom
4th Edition, 2016, Cengage Learning.
Discussion 1
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. Review Figure 1.3, "Individualism as a value in the United
States compared to other democracies." Why do you believe
people in America respond so differently to this question than
do people in other, Western European, countries?
2. After reading the text in the box, "The More Things Change,
The More They Stay The Same: The Continuing Call to the
Federalist Papers" in Chapter 2, do you believe the Federalist
Papers are still relevant for understanding the U.S.
Constitution?
3. The Bill of Rights was intended to protect certain
fundamental rights for all citizens against actions of the
national government. Should the U.S. Constitution provide the
same protections for all citizens against actions of state
governments, or should it be up to each state whether to protect
fundamental rights for citizens within the state?
Discussion 2
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. Review Figure 6.1, "Confidence in Congress." Why do you
believe Congress receives such a low confidence rating?
2. Do you believe the committee system in Congress is
beneficial to the law-making process? Why or why not?
3. What are your views on members "bringing home the bacon"
through pork-barrel legislation? What if the funding is for a
project in your hometown?
Discussion 3
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the

2. Discussion Board:
1. In Table 7.1, the authors provide a list of the 10 greatest
Presidents of all time, according to two separate polls by
historians (in 2005 and 2009). What criteria, or methodology,
do you feel should be used when making this type of
assessment?
2. Review the text box in Chapter 7, "The More Things Change,
The More They Stay The Same: Foreign Policy Successes That
Boosted Young President." Do you believe the President's
foreign policy powers should be dominant and he should have
exclusive control over foreign relations, or do you believe
Congress should play more of a role in these affairs?
3. Understanding the manner in which cabinet appointees are
selected and the role that they serve, do you believe that they
should primarily support and advocate for the policy positions
of the President, or do you think that they should have more
independence in expressing their opinions and making decisions
regarding their department?
Discussion 4
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. If politics and legal issues are so often intertwined, should
the composition of the Court include seasoned politicians as
well as career jurists?
2. Do you believe a Supreme Court nominee's political views
should play a role in his/her approval by the Senate?
3. Currently, the Constitution does not contain eligibility
requirements for federal judges. Do you believe this is a
strength or a weakness? What eligibility requirements would
you support, and what affect do you believe this would have on
judicial appointments?
Discussion 5
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. Have advances in modern technology expanded or contracted
citizens' conceptions of what privacy they actually enjoy? Is it

3. still reasonable to assume that conversations on cell phones
remain private? What about e-mail messages and texts? Is
anything that you do or write on a social networking site such
as Facebook actually private?
2. Do you think the rights of college students should be
equivalent to the rights adults enjoy in the workforce, or should
they be equivalent to the more limited rights of high school
students?
3. What disadvantages do modern-day pioneers in battles over
equality face? Is the fame they gain for being first worth the
price they must pay from their opponents?
4. Do you agree that a college or university should be able to
promote racial diversity through its admissions process? Why or
why not?
Discussion 6
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. Analyze Figure 10.1, "Partisanship in America." What factors
do you believe had led to increase in the number of people who
identify as "Independent," as opposed to Democrat or
Republican?
2. The publication of poll results in the days before an election
is often criticized because some say that voters are influenced
to vote for the "leader" in the poll—the so-called 'bandwagon
effect'. Do you think that there is any merit to this criticism?
3. "Revolving door" laws prohibit public officials from
lobbying activities for one year after they leave office. What do
you view as some potential political pros or cons of public
officials making this transition?
Discussion 7
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. Review the results listed in Figure 13.7, "Voter Turnout
Around the World." Why do you believe the U.S. has such a low
voter turnout, compared to the other countries listed? Do you
believe the U.S. should implement any changes to its system of

4. voting in order to expand turnout?
2. Should voting be restricted to those with a college education?
Why or why not?
3. Do you think college students' participation (the youth vote)
made a difference in the election outcome in 2012? Do you
believe this segment of the population will/can be influential in
future elections? Explain.
Discussion 8
Choose ONE of the following questions to answer in the
Discussion Board:
1. Do you believe progressive taxes, regressive taxes, or flat
taxes (or a combination of all three) are most "fair." Explain
you answer.
2. Looking at the budget pie charts in Figure 15.3, what areas
would you identify for increasing revenue and decreasing
spending? Explain your answer.
3. Figure 16.1 shows "Failing to Win Over the Public in
Afghanistan." How important do you believe it is for public
opinion to support foreign policy decisions? Explain.
Writing Assignment
You are to write a current event paper, approximately 750
words in length, consisting of a summary and analysis of a
current event having to do with American government and/or
politics. You must cite a minimum of five references (sources)
in the paper and include a works cited page at the end of the
assignment to provide full bibliographic information for each of
the references that was cited in the text of the paper.
Current event papers must be formatted according to MLA style,
for papers with no title page (see the following link to access an
online resource for MLA style:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/). In
addition, please use Courier New 12 point as the paper's font,
and ensure the assignment is double-spaced.
The current event paper should have the following elements:
· Provide a thorough, but brief, summary of the political issue.

5. An understanding of the issue should be developed by reading
the articles uncovered during research for the assignment. The
information provided in the summary will lay the foundation for
you to react and respond to (analyze) the political issue. Be sure
to properly cite within the text (according to MLA style) any
information that you obtained from one of your sources.
Citations must be provided, even for paraphrased information.
· Present your perspective on the political issue. Think critically
about the topic discussed in the articles and clearly express your
thoughts about it in writing. Consider eight standards for
critical thinking (Paul and Elder, 2103): clarity, accuracy,
precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness. Ask
questions, such as
1. How can I validate the accuracy of my statement?
2. How is this information relevant?
3. How does my conclusion address the complexities of the
issue?
4. What is another interpretation or viewpoint of the issue?
5. Does my conclusion follow from the data and/or statements I
have provided?
Grading will be based on the following criteria:
· Critical Thinking Skills: the extent to which you have engaged
in critical thinking, innovation, and inquiry of a political issue,
and has demonstrated analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of
information related to the political issue;
· Communication Skills: the extent to which you have
effectively expressed ideas in writing;
· Personal Responsibility: the ability you have to develop
opinions related to a political topic, and recognize the
consequences of those choices and decisions;
· Social Responsibility: the ability you have to demonstrate
civic responsibility and engagement by developing an
understanding and perspective of a political issue that affects
regional, national, and potentially global communities.